Thursday's horoscope: Devote yourself to a task that's close to your heart, Libra

The water-sign sun and moon angle favorably midday, bringing a soulful harmony after the recent excitement of fire-sign interaction.

Why wait for a tragic reason to hold your loved ones close when it will feel so sweet just to love for love’s own sake? If you’re not so great at expressing affection, the transit of Mercury in Leo will help you out.

ARIES (March 21-April 19). One effective strategy will be to come in to the situation with big energy to make sure everyone knows you’re on the scene, then adjust to what’s happening, back it down, and go nice and slow to earn their trust.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20). Where are the other people (especially the ones you admire so much) getting their inspiration? This is what you’re curious about, and finding out will open new avenues for you.

GEMINI (May 21-June 21). A one-sided deal isn’t a deal at all; it’s a proclamation. Deals include the agreement of multiple parties, hopefully equally committed to making something happen. So whom else do you need to include?

CANCER (June 22-July 22). As far as the other person is concerned, your choices define you. But your self-definition is also shaped by the things you wanted to do but thought better of and didn’t.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22). The exceptional work you did last week will lead to a new assignment this week. Keep this up and you’ll have more jobs than you can handle alone. Luckily there are also capable helpers coming your way.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22). Nature can be stronger than man, although man is a force of nature, too. Don’t think of yourself as nature’s opponent. Align yourself with the elements and use them instead.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23). No one will be giving out awards for the cleanest house today. You might consider letting some of that domestic work go in favor of devoting yourself to a task that’s closer to your heart.

SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 21). Seeing something being made out of nothing is a thrill. What’s even more exciting is making this happen yourself. And when you see the thrill in another person’s eyes because of what you’ve done, it’s even better.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21). There’s a restlessness stirring in you — a reaction to recent changes in you and in your environment. So what do you need to do to feel the soothing embrace of calm?

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19). Something with which you’re displeased becomes a topic of conversation. Much to your delight, you’re not the one who brings it up. Yes, you have a partner in the grievance, and also in creating the solution.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18). There’s a way to make the external conditions work for you, though that method may be temporarily disguised by the external conditions themselves. Take a breath and try and look past this. What are you missing?

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20). Being positive doesn’t always come easily to you, but it’s your natural reflex to support those you love and be compassionate toward those who clearly need help. Your habit of thinking the best of people will serve you well today.

TODAY’S BIRTHDAY (July 14). You’ll find yourself incredibly happy for no good reason this year. August will bring a shift in your professional realm and an exciting opportunity therein. November and January bring remarkably fast personal growth and the expansion of your influence, largely through the completion of a course or set of books. Aries and Leo adore you. Your lucky numbers are: 6, 12, 30, 27 and 9.

ASTROLOGICAL QUESTION: “Lately I’ve been getting into the magic of the tarot and the cards really seem to speak to me. Which is the lucky omen card for Libra?”

The ancient Greeks did not recognize the stars of Libra as being a separate constellation. Instead, they viewed them as part of the scorpion’s claws in the constellation Scorpio. It wasn’t until Julius Caesar came along that the Romans singled out Libra as its own constellation, the Scales of Justice. The Justice card in tarot therefore represents Libra, and you can see the scales depicted in it.

Both justice and Libra have to do with balance, fair play and writing. Think of the words “liberty” and “library” and even “limbo,” that in-between place that’s neither here nor there. There is another connection between Libra and Justice, and that is Libra’s ruling planet, Venus.

Traditionally, in addition to being associated with love, Venus also represents money and material pleasure. The card of Justice likewise connotes balancing one’s checkbook and accounts, paying bills and taxes, and partnerships of all kinds, including business deals.

There is also Venus’ reputation for aesthetics to be considered. Aesthetics is the study of beauty and things that are tasteful and pleasing to the eye — and what is beauty if not a graceful balance of form and randomness?

CELEBRITY PROFILES: As Sue Sylvester, she was arguably the world’s nastiest cheerleading coach. This year, Emmy-winning Jane Lynch will appear in several upcoming comedies, including the new Christopher Guest movie, “Mascots,” about the competitive world of sports mascots. Her sun, Mercury and Venus in Cancer indicate the highly sensitive nature that many comedians share. Cancer crabs learn to protect themselves with the hard shell and pinchers of humor.

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